UAM, which stands for urban air mobility,” is a new concept of air transportation system that can be operated in high-density cities. The UAM is a transportation system that moves people and cargo within the city.
Because of the increasing car traffic in modern cities and the mega-urbanization of the world, the efficiency of transportation and the cost of logistics transportation are getting worse. This is why the concept of UAM was developed. The UAM is the mobility using different kinds of aircraft, and the vertiport is the airport that is placed on top of buildings with a helipad (Urban Air Mobility (UAM), 2023).
One type of aircraft is called a VTOL PAV, which stands for vertical takeoff and landing personnel aerial vehicle. The VTOL plane is the type of aircraft that can take off and land vertically by tilting the rotor, which can take off like a helicopter and move like a fixed-wing plane. This type of aircraft is faster than helicopters and multicopters, so it is effective for medium- to long-distance travel.
Another type of VTOL plane is called a multicopter, which looks like a drone with lots of rotors. Multi-copters always have an even number of rotors because the force of torque created by the rotor makes the vehicle spin in the opposite direction of the rotor’s spinning. So, by making two types of propellers that spin in opposite directions, this can be solved. Because of this, this aircraft type is often divided into quadcopters, hexacopters, and octocopters. This type of aircraft is very useful for short-distance and building-to-building flights. Since it has a very short rotor, it doesn’t need a big helipad, and the aircraft can be much smaller than other types of aircraft (Faa.gov, 2022).
Another type of aircraft is called a UA or UAV, which stands for unmanned aircraft or unmanned aerial vehicles. This type of aircraft is made to transport cargo. UAs and UAVs are usually called drones. This is usually smaller than the aircraft that transports humans. Furthermore, it is operated autonomously, which reduces operating costs, and it is safer because humans make mistakes and cannot communicate with all other drivers, whereas the drone using V2X can communicate with all other aircraft, which reduces the chance of accidents and can also be effective on time control. This aircraft type will be utilized for drone deliveries (Amazon, 2022).
The UAM will make our lives easier, faster, and more effective. It is expected to be a game changer in the mobility world, adding one more dimension to transportation.
References
Amazon (2022). Amazon Prime Air prepares for drone deliveries. [online] About Amazon. Available at: https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/transportation/amazon-prime-air-prepares-for-drone-deliveries [Accessed 13 May 2023].
Faa.gov. (2022). Urban Air Mobility and Advanced Air Mobility | Federal Aviation Administration. [online] Available at: https://www.faa.gov/uas/advanced_operations/urban_air_mobility [Accessed 13 May 2023].
tech.hyundaimotorgroup.com. (n.d.). UAM – Hyundai Motor Group TECH. [online] Available at: https://tech.hyundaimotorgroup.com/mobility-device/uam/ [Accessed 13 May 2023].
Urban Air Mobility (UAM). (2023). Available at: https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/Urban%20Air%20Mobility%20%28UAM%29%20Concept%20of%20Operations%202.0_0.pdf [Accessed 13 May 2023].
